


Something Too Much Of This

by whitenoise27



Category: Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears (2020), Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M, Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:27:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23544631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitenoise27/pseuds/whitenoise27
Summary: An alternate take on Phryne and Jack's reunion at the memorial, because I don't believe for a moment that she would be so flippant about him believing that she was dead AGAIN, not after she saw what it did to him the last time. Apologies for any mistakes -- none of my usual betas have seen the movie yet, so this is unbeta'd.
Relationships: Phryne Fisher/Jack Robinson
Comments: 31
Kudos: 157





	Something Too Much Of This

“I came to pay my respects… at your _memorial_ service.”

Phryne’s face fell and she looked to the others for an explanation. Lady Lofthouse was the first to offer it. “The newspapers reported you were dead.”

“Oh.” She turned to Aunt Prudence, who nodded a tearful confirmation. Until that moment, Phyne hadn’t noticed everyone’s mourning attire, or the photograph of her mounted on an easel next to the lectern. But that meant… She looked at Jack again. _Oh no._ So that’s why he looked like Horatio, disbelieving in ghosts until one appeared before his eyes. _Oh, Jack._

“Crippins, forget the tea,” Lady Lofthouse said joyfully, distracting Phryne for a moment. “Let's crack open the champagne!” And she grabbed Phryne's hands before pulling her into another hug. But as she pulled away, Eleanor dropped another bomb. "Uh, Jack knows."

"Knows what?"

"About the maharaja."

_Oh._

With a grin and laugh as if her last words were of no consequence, Eleanor squeezed Phryne’s hands one last time, then ushered everyone toward the manor. 

Left alone on the lawn with Jack, Phryne turned toward him to see a man who had travelled halfway around the world to farewell the woman he loved, only to find her standing in front of him alive and well. And, well, married to another man. “Oh, Jack,” she said. “Oh, darling…” She reached for him, but he jerked away. 

“And how would your _husband_ feel to hear you call me that?” he spat. 

“I imagine he’d be delighted. He’s quite keen to meet you.” 

That was enough to pull Jack out of the maelstrom of emotions threatening to drown him. “You... told him about me?”

“Well, of course. He told me all about _his_ lover, it was only fair.” 

“His…?”

“In fact, if he didn’t already have a lover, I expect I’d have to fight him for you.” 

“What?” Too confused now to push her away, he allowed her to get close enough to run her hands down his lapels. 

“I was going to explain it all, just as soon as I could. It was all too much for a telegram, and I thought about writing a letter, but I wanted to tell you in person, so you would understand. I never thought that you’d hear about it elsewhere first. And I had no idea… Jack, I would never have let you think… and for that long…” She reached up and ran a hand along his jaw. “Jack, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” 

Jack closed his eyes, and she felt a tremor run through him. Propriety be damned, she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. After a moment, he returned her embrace, hat dropped to the ground and forgotten. She felt his chest rise and fall through several deep, shuddering breaths. She rubbed his back and let him breathe. “I’m here, Jack. I’m here.” She whispered it over and over, willing him to believe it.

Gradually his breathing calmed a little. “And I’m sorry about the reason for it,” she added, “but I’m glad you’re here, too.” 

“I’ve told you before,” he said, his voice a deep rumble with her ear still pressed into his torso. “It confuses me when you're remorseful.” 

Phryne let out a surprised, relieved laugh. She pulled back far enough to lay a hand on the side of his face. “I’ve missed you,” she said, surprising herself as much as him by saying it. “Investigating is so much more fun when you’re around.” 

“I was going to come after you,” he said. “I was looking at fares, trying to make the numbers work. And then I heard about the wedding, and…” 

“Jack, darling, that had nothing to do with love. At least, not between me and the maharaja. I did it to protect him, that’s all.” He still looked skeptical. She searched his face and considered her options. She could leave him to his doubts, cut ties, let herself be free, or what she had always considered to be free. But looking back over the last several months, she found that wasn’t what she wanted anymore. What she wanted now was standing right in front of her. She went out on a limb. “‘Dost thou hear? Since my dear soul was mistress of her choice and could of men distinguish, her election had sealed thee for herself. For thou hast been as one, in suffering all, who suffers nothing. Give me that man who is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him in my heart’s core, aye, in my heart of heart, as I do thee.’” 

Slightly abridged, but she trusted him to be able to interpolate the lines and extrapolate her meaning. He looked at her for so long she wondered if she had made the wrong call, or read the situation, nay, their entire relationship wrong. Then he smiled, and she started breathing again. “Is that your way of asking me not to be angry with you?” 

“It’s my way of telling you that I love you, you idiot. But yes, not being angry with me would be nice, too.” 

“That sounds like a reasonable compromise.” 

“Good.” She tucked her arm through his and started leading him toward the house. “Then come inside. We have a lot of lost time to make up.” 

_Epilogue:_

“Hamlet and Horatio?”

“Oh, come on, Jack, you’re the most Horatio-like man I’ve ever met.” 

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“So you should. You’ve forgotten your hat.” 

“Leave it. I never liked it. I bought it so it wouldn’t remind me of you.” 

“Did it work?” 

“No.”

“Well, there’s a milliner’s down the road a bit. I’m sure we can find you a better one.”

“I’ll look forward to that.” 

-fin

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not the first and won't be the last to redo this scene, but it was the part of the movie that bothered me the most (apart from how criminally underused Dot and Hugh and the rest of the Melbourne crew were), and this entire exchange came to me all at once while getting ready for work. Criticism, constructive or otherwise, is always welcome.


End file.
